1. Field
Representative embodiments are directed to the fabricating of lithography masks. More particularly, representative embodiments are directed to a method of determining variations between positions of cell contacts of a semiconductor device, produced using a lithography mask, and their target (design) positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a plurality of cell contacts may be formed in a cell block of a semiconductor device by exposing a resist formed over the area of the cell block using a lithography mask, developing the resist, and then etching an underlying layer using the developed resist as an etch mask, for example. In order to determine whether the cell contacts have been formed at the designed for target positions, degrees of alignment/misalignment between a target and the cell contacts may be quantified as shift values of the cell contacts. The lithography mask may then be corrected in accordance with the shift values.
Therefore, the shift values must be accurately determined if the lithography mask is to be properly corrected such that it can then be used to produce cell contacts located at desired relative positions.